WokeBloke

We can throw human memory out the window since it may be false. This thread was opened 14 hours before this post was written. There was 14 hours worth of experience in between these two moments. How can you deny that?

@thibault The claim things happened before now is either true or false. So it must either be right or wrong. I'm willing to consider the claim that nothing happened before now but I think that claim is false and has no basis in reality. Unless someone can give a solid argument I retain my position that things happened before now.

@thibault My view is that things happened before now (such as writing this post). How is this wrong?

@thibault And how does your view that there is no past have anything to do with truth?

Starting now you are making your past. Your current action is being preformed. This is undeniable. It shall become a past action when it is complete. So in any future discussion we have there is a past.

Did you write that post or your previous one first? You have 593 past posts. Would you like to add another?

The past is that which happened. Thus by definition the past happened. If you claim that there is no past then what is your memory based on?

@Kksd74628 The past happened irrespective of whether you remember it or not or whether you think it happened or not.

@Kksd74628 Did your experience of this post begin or not?

What makes these thoughts according to you? And what is your reasoning?

What are your views on sensory input? Where is it being generated? Where is it coming from? What is it at the most fundamental level? If there is input coming into your body (via the sense organs) from outside of your body then why do you consider your life to be a dream (if you do)? And if there is sensory input how can you consider what you are aware of to be "all that exists"? Aren't you excluding the rest of the universe that you are unaware of? Why do you think (if you do) that what you are aware of is all that exists? Couldn't there be things that you are unaware of that exist such as the computer I'm typing this on? What other questions are pertinent to this discussion?

This is probably redundant but still. Generate a thought. Try this one: "If I am this thought then when this thought ends I will die so I guess I'm about to die." Did you die? No! (but the thought did) So you must be more fundamental than thoughts.

Supposedly the same regions in the brain that are stimulated by sensory input (such as the visual cortex) are also stimulated in dreams. So in both cases the same region is generating visual experiences. However, in waking state the primary stimuli is light and in the dreams the stimuli come from other regions of the brain.

@thisintegrated Don't you need something to sense with your senses (sensory input)? Isn't the primary distinction between the waking and dream state that one is based on sensory input and the other is conjured up in the brain?

Or both? Or neither? If you and I are imagining each other then that means we both don't exist which means this conversation doesn't exist... But from my POV it does exist so perhaps if you think you are imagining me then you're simply wrong.

@thisintegrated I don't think its appropriate to equate your reality with something created within reality such as video games. The way video games function says nothing important about the rest of reality in my opinion. I'm willing to have my mind changed on this with a good argument. Could you please address my question about the computer?

How do you explain the fact that I'm providing you input with my post that you are accessing using your eyes? Where am I?

The burden of proof is on you since you claim definitively that it is imaginary. In the defense of sensory input there are reasons to think it exists. One being the sensory organs you are aware of. Another being the various things you come into contact with that are outside the body. How do you explain the computer that I'm typing this post on? You are unaware of it but if you claim it doesn't exist then I know you are definitely wrong from my POV. It is outside your body and I am typing the post that you respond to on it. So in a sense I am literally providing you your input.

I added more to the OP. Also I don't think I have posted anything about sensory input before nor are there any posts about it in the forum. What is your proof that it's imaginary? This seems like it could be a gross oversimplification of reality like people used to be convinced the sun revolved around the Earth.

You claimed that thoughts make themselves. Thoughts don't exist until they are created so I was wondering how something that doesn't exist could create itself according to you?

So you gave birth to yourself? How could something nonexistent create itself?

So then I think according to you.

Whose brain?

Have you ever considered telling people their life is a dream is severely hurting them? You think when your body dies the consequences of your actions just disappear and all these people were just illusions? No. These are your lives.

Perhaps in reality there is no consciousness whatsoever.